# Storing tobacco in... the freezer?



## Rascal (Jan 29, 2010)

I know a guy that only smokes aromatics. We bat that term around but he smokes what most people think of as aromatics. The ones named after desserts. Despite the "aromatics are for beginners" myth he is no beginner. I think he has been smoking a pipe for a good 20 years now. 

Smoke what you like, he does.

Anyway, he heard from some old-timer that the best way to preserve an aromatic is to freeze it. For the last 15 years or so that is exactly what he has done. I assume if it had undesirable consequences he would have stopped doing it so I guess it works.

Aromatics do lose their added flavors over time. I consider this to be a good thing but if you want that full punch maybe freezing does help, I dunno.

I am not suggesting that anyone try it. I just thought you guys might be interested in reading what I consider to be a bizarre way off storing tobacco.


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## drastic_quench (Sep 12, 2008)

Just a guess, but I imagine freezing does nothing to the tobacco, but instead preserves the casing flavors. Though I could see long-term freezing have a negative effect on tobacco - similar to freezer burn.


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## Mad Hatter (Apr 8, 2007)

Thanks for posting that. It good to hear an experienced perspective in a "purist" world.


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## GlassGuy (Feb 14, 2010)

its the biggest myth ever and i have been told not to do that


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## Rascal (Jan 29, 2010)

drastic_quench said:


> Just a guess, but I imagine freezing does nothing to the tobacco, but instead preserves the casing flavors. Though I could see long-term freezing have a negative effect on tobacco - similar to freezer burn.


I assume that protecting the casing flavors is the primary goal.

The rules for tobacco would be the same as food. The best way to prevent freezer burn is to have a stand-alone freezer for long-term storage. The main cause is temperature fluctuation above zero. My meat freezer is set to stay at -20 F and is seldom opened. I can store meat much longer than normal as a result.


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## Rascal (Jan 29, 2010)

Mad Hatter said:


> Thanks for posting that. It good to hear an experienced perspective in a "purist" world.


I have a feeling that if we didn't treat aromatics as a red-headed stepchild around here more people may be inclined to join in. Someone out there is buying them because there are tons available.

I wonder how much of the market share is aromatic tobacco. I bet it is higher than we think.


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## drastic_quench (Sep 12, 2008)

Rascal said:


> I wonder how much of the market share is aromatic tobacco. I bet it is higher than we think.


Way high, I bet. Likely comparative, in both quality and number, to the ratio of McDonald's burgers to actually great burgers. Heh.


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## Rascal (Jan 29, 2010)

drastic_quench said:


> Way high, I bet. Likely comparative, in both quality and number, to the ratio of McDonald's burgers to actually great burgers. Heh.


The difference here is the guys that only smoke aromatics think they the great burger diners. It is all a matter of perspective and personal preferences.


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## MarkC (Jul 4, 2009)

Does he jar the stuff first, or just throw the bag in the freezer?


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## dmkerr (Oct 27, 2008)

The basic rule of thumb is to store your tobacco at a temperature you'd feel comfortable with yourself. I can't imagine freezing tobacco would have any positive effects unless he likes his tobacco at the tinder stage. My guess is that an aromatic would become a major tongue biter at that stage of dryness. But I'm speculating.


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## RJpuffs (Jan 27, 2008)

I'm no appliance expert, but, I think the newer "anti-frost" freezers lower the humidity to prevent frostyness. Dry cold air + tobacco = dry tobacco; no matter what temperature. Or so I think.

If we are talking about goopy aromatics, most contain PG. And since PG is an alcohol, it shouldn't freeze, should it? Vodka doesn't :spit:


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## Mister Moo (Sep 8, 2005)

After all conventional wisdom said, "Dawk! Never put coffee in the freezer!!" some very bright boys roasted some coffee, allowed it to cool, jarred it and froze it for months.

When the jars came out of the deep freeze the beans returned to room temp and, in the sealed jars, the CO2 outgassing process commenced as if the beans had just come out of the roaster. The coffee, up to six-months old, was exactly as if freshly roasted, ground like normal, brewed like normal and tasted perfectly fresh. So much for conventional wisdom.

Jam as much bulk aro into a glass jar as you can (to replace air), seal the lid and freeze. If you want to know what'll happen just wait 6-12 months, let the jar come back to room temp and start smoking. I'd bet, same as the day it was stored.


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## Rascal (Jan 29, 2010)

MarkC said:


> Does he jar the stuff first, or just throw the bag in the freezer?


He jars it.


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## drastic_quench (Sep 12, 2008)

I have known folks who put cartons of cigarettes in their deep freezers. Cigarettes burn as reliably as fuses anyhow, so maybe drying cigs out doesn't matter?


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## Rascal (Jan 29, 2010)

dmkerr said:


> The basic rule of thumb is to store your tobacco at a temperature you'd feel comfortable with yourself. I can't imagine freezing tobacco would have any positive effects unless he likes his tobacco at the tinder stage. My guess is that an aromatic would become a major tongue biter at that stage of dryness. But I'm speculating.


I have seen him fill a pipe. His tobacco is not tinder. Keep in mind he has been doing this for 15 years. I think he would have stopped if it was ruining his tobacco.



RJpuffs said:


> I'm no appliance expert, but, I think the newer "anti-frost" freezers lower the humidity to prevent frostyness. Dry cold air + tobacco = dry tobacco; no matter what temperature. Or so I think.
> 
> If we are talking about goopy aromatics, most contain PG. And since PG is an alcohol, it shouldn't freeze, should it? Vodka doesn't :spit:


Vodka will freeze at -20. I know this from experience.

Freezers have no need to drop the humidity because that is what freezing does anyway. Have you ever had fruit that was freeze dried?

He goes for quality blends. I have some of what he smokes and it not drowning in PG. I don't think anyone can smoke a pipe for 20 years with some of those really goopy blends but I could be wrong.


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## MarkC (Jul 4, 2009)

Rascal said:


> He jars it.


Drying shouldn't be a problem then. Sounds like a good idea for aromatics.


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## Rookee (Aug 5, 2009)

I gotta try this, because i love aromatics. Why do some folks look down on aros? When i want something thats not aromatic, i usually just smoke a cigar.


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## Rascal (Jan 29, 2010)

Mister Moo said:


> After all conventional wisdom said, "Dawk! Never put coffee in the freezer!!" some very bright boys roasted some coffee, allowed it to cool, jarred it and froze it for months.


Do you want to know what my buddy stores next to his tobacco in the freezer? No joke.



MarkC said:


> Drying shouldn't be a problem then. Sounds like a good idea for aromatics.


I imagine it dries out a little as it is freezing but if the moisture has no where to go it simply rehydrates when it warms back up.

Keep in mind I am not advocating this in any way. I am just sharing one of those weird tidbits you pick up over the years. I can't say it is good or bad but he seems to think it is good so more power to him.


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## Rascal (Jan 29, 2010)

Rookee said:


> I gotta try this, because i love aromatics. Why do some folks look down on aros? When i want something thats not aromatic, i usually just smoke a cigar.


I think it is from a lack of experience with aromatic tobaccos. Everyone immediately thinks of some sticky goopy mess and, while those exist, there are plenty that are quality blends.

Oh and if you do try it report back the results.


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## Diodon nepheligina (Nov 5, 2009)

I have not tried this myself but the idea is a sound one.

At the risk of sounding pedantic, I will contribute some rather esoteric ideas here:

Without invoking Newton's 2nd law of thermodynamics for a more formal treatment, it is sufficient to couch this idea in terms of the old saying "ashes to ashes, dust to dust". Once the tobacco leaf was harvested and the cells of that leaf ceased living, the inexorable process of decomposition commenced. Given enough time, that leaf will decompose completely and return to to the dust from which it formed. It is, indeed, that very _process_ of decomposition that yields the delightful flavors we love in our aged tobaccos. Three primary factors come to bear on this process of decomposition: temperature, humidity, and the presence of oxygen.

1) Since temperature is directly related to the rate of decomposition, freezing your baccy slows this process down considerably. Any of the added flavorings of an aromatic blend are subject to decomposition just as the underlying tobacco is. So, freezing slows down the decomposition of a beloved chocolate, vanilla, or whatever other added flavor one may happen to enjoy. As drastic quench has noted, freezing is a method of preservation and would likely preserve the added flavors by slowing down their rate of decomposition.

2) All other things being equal, moisture or humidity will also affect the rate of decomposition. There is a reason that the "Iceman" found a few years ago was still in relatively good shape. He was freeze-dried. Decomposition was occurring at a negligible rate. This is what you do not want to happen to your baccy in the freezer. You would want to be able to preserve the moisture, as another has noted by having as little air space as possible inside your jar. Lots of airspace=dehydration of the baccy and buildup of ice crystals on the inside walls of the jar (freezer burn).

3) Oxygen is a primary chemical agent involved in oxidation. Decomposition can be seen as a cascade of oxidation reactions, each one producing a new end-product. Some of these partially decomposed/oxidized compounds are what we associate with "aged" material. When there is a shortage of oxygen though, for example when a jar is tightly sealed and has little air within, decomposition shifts to its anaerobic pathway---fermentation. Ahhh, fermentation. That wonderful process that gives us beer, wine, liquor, cheese, and yes, well-aged tobacco. While decomposition continues via the pathway of fermentation, an entirely different set of compounds are formed. These, really, are the coveted flavors we love that nuance and accent the natural flavors of the fresh material.

But I digress...

The long and the short of this is that if you want to preserve your aromatic blends _*as they are*_, keeping your baccy in a tightly sealed jar with little airspace in the freezer *should* keep them as close as possible to the flavor they had the day you put them in there.

If you like the effects of aging and fermentation and enjoy how the flavors become altered through slow decomposition, keep them sealed up at room temperature and let fermentation work its magic.

Now lets pack a bowl and have a smoke... p


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## MarkC (Jul 4, 2009)

Rookee said:


> I gotta try this, because i love aromatics. Why do some folks look down on aros? When i want something thats not aromatic, i usually just smoke a cigar.


Well...when I want something that doesn't taste like tobacco, I generally don't smoke.


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## juni (Oct 16, 2009)

It sort of makes sense. I store my coffee in the fridge (not freezer) although I haven't really noticed any differences in taste. Now if pipe tobacco used by the great explorers were found in the arctic we would know for sure....


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## dmkerr (Oct 27, 2008)

Diodon nepheligina said:


> The long and the short of this is that if you want to preserve your aromatic blends _*as they are*_, keeping your baccy in a tightly sealed jar with little airspace in the freezer *should* keep them as close as possible to the flavor they had the day you put them in there.
> 
> If you like the effects of aging and fermentation and enjoy how the flavors become altered through slow decomposition, keep them sealed up at room temperature and let fermentation work its magic.
> 
> Now lets pack a bowl and have a smoke... p


Interesting! I think I'll try this with an aromatic. If it works, cool. If not, the tobacco was pretty cheap anyway.


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## RJpuffs (Jan 27, 2008)

MarkC said:


> Well...when I want something that doesn't taste like tobacco, I generally don't smoke.


Personally I find "classic" aromatics overwhelming - that is, all added flavor and no tobacco taste. The PG goopyness associated with most bulk-retail-out-of-a-50-gallon-jar at the B&M makes me nervous. LIGHT topping, sure, it should enhance the tobacco flavor not assault my tongue with cough syrup like cherries.

Back on the freezing topic, whatever works, floats yer boat, tickles yer palate, et al. Just like some guys scrub their pipes daily, while some others never clean it (pipe cleaner? whats that?) until it dissolves into a tar-briar hybrid that melts into the floorboards.


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## Rascal (Jan 29, 2010)

MarkC said:


> Well...when I want something that doesn't taste like tobacco, I generally don't smoke.


It is nice to know that if I ever invited any of my friends that smoke aromatics to post here they would receive such an friendly welcome.

If you ever tasted tobacco it would be an real eye opener for you.


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## Rascal (Jan 29, 2010)

RJpuffs said:


> Personally I find "classic" aromatics overwhelming - that is, all added flavor and no tobacco taste. The PG goopyness associated with most bulk-retail-out-of-a-50-gallon-jar at the B&M makes me nervous. LIGHT topping, sure, it should enhance the tobacco flavor not assault my tongue with cough syrup like cherries.
> 
> Back on the freezing topic, whatever works, floats yer boat, tickles yer palate, et al. Just like some guys scrub their pipes daily, while some others never clean it (pipe cleaner? whats that?) until it dissolves into a tar-briar hybrid that melts into the floorboards.


I think it depends on the B&M. Some of the best I have ever had were house blends but they were also in B&Ms that had been around for several decades and took pride in their blends.

Some of the worst I have ever had came in tins.

For me the answer is aging. The flavors break down but not so much they kill the room note and the tobacco comes back.


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## Mad Hatter (Apr 8, 2007)

Rascal said:


> I have a feeling that if we didn't treat aromatics as a red-headed stepchild around here more people may be inclined to join in. Someone out there is buying them because there are tons available.
> 
> I wonder how much of the market share is aromatic tobacco. I bet it is higher than we think.


Used to be the words "Grabow" or "Kaywoodie" were rarely spoken here in civil tones too, but as we've evolved from apes to fishes things have begun to change. To each their own, live and let live, etc, etc, etc. The alien says "Its all good, brother"


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## Jack Straw (Nov 20, 2008)

People freeze cigars all the time to prevent beetle outbreaks, and cigars are way more sensitive than pipe tobacco. I don't know why so many people are saying this is a bad idea. :???:


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## Rascal (Jan 29, 2010)

Jack Straw said:


> People freeze cigars all the time to prevent beetle outbreaks, and cigars are way more sensitive than pipe tobacco. I don't know why so many people are saying this is a bad idea. :???:


Haven't you heard? On the inter-webs we are all experts. :biggrin1:

At least it was a new topic for debate which eventually devolved into a old topic for debate but still...


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## drastic_quench (Sep 12, 2008)

Jack Straw said:


> People freeze cigars all the time to prevent beetle outbreaks, and cigars are way more sensitive than pipe tobacco. I don't know why so many people are saying this is a bad idea. :???:





Rascal said:


> Haven't you heard? On the inter-webs we are all experts. :biggrin1:
> 
> At least it was a new topic for debate which eventually devolved into a old topic for debate but still...


I'm on the fence at best. But when something as simple as a mason jar sitting on a shelf at room temperature has demonstrably shown to be an excellent method to both store and enhance tobacco through aging, why mess with a good thing?


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## dmkerr (Oct 27, 2008)

drastic_quench said:


> I'm on the fence at best. But when something as simple as a mason jar sitting on a shelf at room temperature has demonstrably shown to be an excellent method to both store and enhance tobacco through aging, why mess with a good thing?


I agree that non-aromatics don't need to be frozen and will do just fine if not better aged at room temp. But aromatics typically don't age well in such an environment. I think the OP's friend might be onto something.

I still have about 4 oz of Lane's 1Q that I smoke about 2 bowls of per year. I think that'll make for a good experiment. I'll let you know how it turns out in 10 years or so. :mrgreen: Actually, I'm going to sample it each year to see how it goes over time.


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## dmkerr (Oct 27, 2008)

Rascal said:


> It is nice to know that if I ever invited any of my friends that smoke aromatics to post here they would receive such an friendly welcome.


Bring 'em 'round - we'll beat 'em into shape! :rofl:

Seriously, though, whereas I don't smoke a lot of aromatics, I do like the ones I do smoke. For me, they are an occasional "dessert" tobacco and when I'm in the mood for one, nothing but nothing else will do.

But whenever I read or hear about the battle of non-aros vs aros, I'm reminded of my first B&M tobacconist and mentor who eventually switched to smoking nothing but Lane's BCA. There's very little that anyone could teach him about pipes and tobaccos, so it's extremely hard for me to look down on aromatic smokers. :biggrin1:


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## Rascal (Jan 29, 2010)

drastic_quench said:


> I'm on the fence at best. But when something as simple as a mason jar sitting on a shelf at room temperature has demonstrably shown to be an excellent method to both store and enhance tobacco through aging, why mess with a good thing?


I totally agree. I even prefer aros to be aged and have their top note flavors decline.



dmkerr said:


> I agree that non-aromatics don't need to be frozen and will do just fine if not better aged at room temp. But aromatics typically don't age well in such an environment. I think the OP's friend might be onto something.
> 
> I still have about 4 oz of Lane's 1Q that I smoke about 2 bowls of per year. I think that'll make for a good experiment. I'll let you know how it turns out in 10 years or so. :mrgreen: Actually, I'm going to sample it each year to see how it goes over time.


Well that should be interesting. I doubt my friend ever pushed it that far. His main purpose for freezing is buying tobacco in bulk to save money. I imagine most of it gets used up in under a year. I will email him and ask him how far he has ever pushed it.


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## Mad Hatter (Apr 8, 2007)

dmkerr said:


> I agree that non-aromatics don't need to be frozen and will do just fine if not better aged at room temp. But aromatics typically don't age well in such an environment. I think the OP's friend might be onto something.
> 
> I still have about 4 oz of Lane's 1Q that I smoke about 2 bowls of per year. I think that'll make for a good experiment. I'll let you know how it turns out in 10 years or so. :mrgreen: Actually, I'm going to sample it each year to see how it goes over time.


Word on the street is some tobaccos don't gain anything past a short aging. I wonder if this would help preserve the freshness of some of those others.


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## Rascal (Jan 29, 2010)

dmkerr said:


> Bring 'em 'round - we'll beat 'em into shape! :rofl:
> 
> Seriously, though, whereas I don't smoke a lot of aromatics, I do like the ones I do smoke. For me, they are an occasional "dessert" tobacco and when I'm in the mood for one, nothing but nothing else will do.
> 
> But whenever I read or hear about the battle of non-aros vs aros, I'm reminded of my first B&M tobacconist and mentor who eventually switched to smoking nothing but Lane's BCA. There's very little that anyone could teach him about pipes and tobaccos, so it's extremely hard for me to look down on aromatic smokers. :biggrin1:


I suspect it is like everything else. If you smoke them long enough you train your palate to sort through the flavors.

Some people say they don't taste anything. That is not the case for me. I don't get as much as I might get from other blends but it is not tasteless.


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## Rascal (Jan 29, 2010)

Mad Hatter said:


> Word on the street is some tobaccos don't gain anything past a short aging. I wonder if this would help preserve the freshness of some of those others.


What have I started? :bolt:


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## Mister Moo (Sep 8, 2005)

Mad Hatter said:


> Word on the street is some tobaccos don't gain anything...


I was thinking that, if there _*WAS*_ any Penzance to store, it would be a good candidate for cryogenic stabilization. A few tins in a baggie, the baggie into a jar, the jar into the freezer...

Come back in 10-years and see if it tastes like old icecubes or new Pez. :dunno:


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## dmkerr (Oct 27, 2008)

Rascal said:


> Well that should be interesting. I doubt my friend ever pushed it that far. His main purpose for freezing is buying tobacco in bulk to save money. I imagine most of it gets used up in under a year. I will email him and ask him how far he has ever pushed it.


Ah, crap! I misread your OP. But that's ok - I'll try it both ways, smoking earlier and later. Just so you know, my curiousity is mainly based on the idea that aromatics get worse with age. I'm wondering if freezing will at least maintain the consistency if not improve the blend. If so, you've solved a lot of problems for a lot of folks! Long term storage of aromatics is a fairly big concern.


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## dmkerr (Oct 27, 2008)

Rascal said:


> I suspect it is like everything else. If you smoke them long enough you train your palate to sort through the flavors.
> 
> Some people say they don't taste anything. That is not the case for me. I don't get as much as I might get from other blends but it is not tasteless.


I'll share my credo with you regarding tobacco: I make no apologies for what I like that other people don't, or what I don't like that other people do.

I smoke to make myself happy. The rest of the world is on their own. :biggrin1:


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## Mad Hatter (Apr 8, 2007)

Rascal said:


> What have I started? :bolt:


LOL. I think latakia blends are supposed to peak at 3 or 4 years. Dunno though. You'd have to ask the Sobranie connoiseurs. Burley supposedly doesn't change much.



Mister Moo said:


> I was thinking that, if there _*WAS*_ any Penzance to store, it would be a good candidate for cryogenic stabilization. A few tins in a baggie, the baggie into a jar, the jar into the freezer...
> 
> Come back in 10-years and see if it tastes like old icecubes or new Pez. :dunno:


Don't tell me *you* don't have any Pez......


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## Rascal (Jan 29, 2010)

dmkerr said:


> Ah, crap! I misread your OP. But that's ok - I'll try it both ways, smoking earlier and later. Just so you know, my curiousity is mainly based on the idea that aromatics get worse with age. I'm wondering if freezing will at least maintain the consistency if not improve the blend. If so, you've solved a lot of problems for a lot of folks! Long term storage of aromatics is a fairly big concern.


Apparently tobacco gets lost in a freezer just like it gets lost in a cellar. He had one go 4 years that he couldn't tell from new.

Now remember, he has a stand-alone freezer and that does make a difference on long-term storage. I don't know the difference it will make for tobacco but I do know what it means for everything else because I have 1 of them. The stuff that gets stored in the side by side fridge/freezer in the kitchen gets freezer burnt, the stuff I store in the -20 seldom opened freezer generally does not if it is packaged well.

Even though I have no right to take credit for it, if people start doing this successfully I am going to call it the Rascal Method. Move over Frank!


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## MarkC (Jul 4, 2009)

Rascal said:


> It is nice to know that if I ever invited any of my friends that smoke aromatics to post here they would receive such an friendly welcome.
> 
> If you ever tasted tobacco it would be an real eye opener for you.


I'm not sure why my post struck you as rude, or why you think I've never tasted tobacco, but rest assured, your reaction is based on your interpretation rather than my intent.


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## Rascal (Jan 29, 2010)

Mad Hatter said:


> LOL. I think latakia blends are supposed to peak at 3 or 4 years. Dunno though. You'd have to ask the Sobranie connoiseurs. Burley supposedly doesn't change much.


In my experience latakia diminishes over time. Years ago I had some burley that seemed "off" that later improved but I suspect it was closer to green. I think by the time most of it gets to the consumer it has already peaked.


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## Mister Moo (Sep 8, 2005)

Jack Straw said:


> People freeze cigars all the time to prevent beetle outbreaks, and cigars are way more sensitive than pipe tobacco. I don't know why so many people are saying this is a bad idea. :???:


+10. :tu


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## plexiprs (Nov 18, 2005)

Rascal said:


> If you ever tasted tobacco it would be an real eye opener for you.


Please, do enlighten all of us inexperienced old fools as to the benefits of your many years of experience. I've tins of _real_ tobacco that are older, I'd bet ......



Rascal said:


> Haven't you heard? On the inter-webs we are all experts. :biggrin1:


It is in fact quite apparent in all of your posts ......



MarkC said:


> I'm not sure why my post struck you as rude, or why you think I've never tasted tobacco, but rest assured, your reaction is based on your interpretation rather than my intent.


The pins are poking through his rubber pants, most likely .....:loco:


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## dmkerr (Oct 27, 2008)

Mad Hatter said:


> LOL. I think latakia blends are supposed to peak at 3 or 4 years. Dunno though. You'd have to ask the Sobranie connoiseurs. Burley supposedly doesn't change much. QUOTE]
> 
> Latakia seems to me to be dependent on something that I don't understand, other than just age. I've smoked some very old latakia blends that were outstanding and some that were mediocre - not as good as when they were fresh. I'd have to sit down and determine which of them were VA-heavy or oriental-heavy, as that may have something to do with it. Since you mention Sobranie, I'm currently smoking a stash that is somewhere in the 15-20 year range, and it's sublime. It still retains the sharp flavor burst but it's mellowed.
> 
> I have no experience aging burleys but I too have heard they don't change much.


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## dmkerr (Oct 27, 2008)

Rascal said:


> Apparently tobacco gets lost in a freezer just like it gets lost in a cellar. He had one go 4 years that he couldn't tell from new.
> 
> Now remember, he has a stand-alone freezer and that does make a difference on long-term storage. I don't know the difference it will make for tobacco but I do know what it means for everything else because I have 1 of them. The stuff that gets stored in the side by side fridge/freezer in the kitchen gets freezer burnt, the stuff I store in the -20 seldom opened freezer generally does not if it is packaged well.
> 
> Even though I have no right to take credit for it, if people start doing this successfully I am going to call it the Rascal Method. Move over Frank!


4 years is a good barometer!

Seriously, I know of very few people that have a cellar full of aromatics and the ones that do complain that they don't taste as good a year or two down the line as they do when fresh. If the Rascal Method works, it'll surely give these folks something to cheer about. In the past (possibly since the beginnings of aromatics until this new Tax Parity Act becomes law), there wasn't necessarily a reason to cellar easily-found aromatics. With the cost possibly increasing severely, now there may be.


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## Rascal (Jan 29, 2010)

MarkC said:


> I'm not sure why my post struck you as rude, or why you think I've never tasted tobacco, but rest assured, your reaction is based on your interpretation rather than my intent.


I apologize if I took it the wrong way. My point about tasting true tobacco is that all tobacco is processed to alter the original flavor just like coffee beans. Aromatics are the extremes of manipulation but none of it is pure.


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## Rascal (Jan 29, 2010)

dmkerr said:


> 4 years is a good barometer!
> 
> Seriously, I know of very few people that have a cellar full of aromatics and the ones that do complain that they don't taste as good a year or two down the line as they do when fresh. If the Rascal Method works, it'll surely give these folks something to cheer about. In the past (possibly since the beginnings of aromatics until this new Tax Parity Act becomes law), there wasn't necessarily a reason to cellar easily-found aromatics. With the cost possibly increasing severely, now there may be.


I didn't even think about that before starting this thread.

I just hope anyone who tries this will go small at first. Just because he found nothing wrong with freezing doesn't mean you won't. I am really worried about people trying to use the freezer attached to their fridge. I think that is all kinds of a bad idea.


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## dmkerr (Oct 27, 2008)

Rascal said:


> I didn't even think about that before starting this thread.
> 
> I just hope anyone who tries this will go small at first. Just because he found nothing wrong with freezing doesn't mean you won't. I am really worried about people trying to use the freezer attached to their fridge. I think that is all kinds of a bad idea.


No, you were quite clear. I'm planning to use a small (about 3 oz) experiment at first and, as with all this stuff, the user is at their own risk.


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## MarkC (Jul 4, 2009)

Rascal said:


> My point about tasting true tobacco is that all tobacco is processed to alter the original flavor just like coffee beans. Aromatics are the extremes of manipulation but none of it is pure.


 Then you picked the wrong guy; I've smoked it straight out of the barn. (It's boring as hell, by the way!)


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